Saturday, June 28, 2014

Like most children's librarians, I inherited a treasure trove of odd things from past librarians. This prop is one that sat on the shelf in my storytime closet until one day I was poking around for a movement that would work with a "colors" theme.

My color pocket consists of five crayons on vari-colored cardstock, with a cardstock "pocket" made of two pieces taped together and a space at the top, and everything laminated for sturdiness. Surprisingly, all the crayons fit in the pocket quite nicely.

But how exactly to use them? A little Googling produced the idea of the "Color Pokey."

You put your purple in, you put your purple out

You put your purple in and you shake it all about.

You do the Hokey Pokey and you turn yourself around

That's what it's all about!

(continue on with all the other colors)

The webpage I found suggested colored streamers, but I liked this better. There was some lag time in between verses as kids found and fished out the next color, but they didn't mind.

I want to use this again, and I also want to figure out other ways of using it. Thoughts?

Sunday, June 1, 2014

Standouts
Writing: Don't Play With Your Food! by Bob Shea
A monster intends to eat some bunnies, but for some reason he keeps getting distracted. Could the bunnies have anything to do with that? . . . Of course they do. Smart and funny, and dang those bunnies are cute.
Illustration: Have You Seen My Dragon? by Steve Light
The intricacy of the pages (there are so many details to pore over!) are balanced by the simple pen-and-ink style, with one element that pops out in color. A visual treat of New York City, and all the places a dragon can hide therein.
Overall: Silly Doggy! by Adam Stower
When Lily finds a bear in her backyard, she immediately proclaims it her new doggy. I love the interplay between the words and the pictures, and the visual contrast between teeny-tiny Lily and that gigantic bear.

Because I Want To Awards
Read This After Watching Toy Story: Found by Salina Yoon
When a bear finds a stuffed bunny lost in the forest, he tries to do the right thing and get it back to its owner. But he's forming his own attachment. The end will make you awwwwwwwwww.
Naked Presidents and the Line of Succession, How Can You Lose?: President Taft is Stuck in the Bath by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Chris Van Dusen
Besides the gleeful fun of the various proposed methods for getting the POTUS out of his tub, there's actually a little educational content in all the various secretaries and such.
Ugly Duckling, with Teeth! And Fire!: The Crocodile Who Didn't Like Water by Gemma Marino
Like it says. That lil' croc is just too cute for words, with his water wings and everything.